§ 179. Powers and duties of the commissioner. The commissioner is hereby authorized to:

1. Administer, supervise and enforce the provisions of this article.

2. Promulgate such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary to supplement and give full effect to this article.

3. a. Adopt and incorporate by reference in such rules and regulations any official handbook, or part thereof, published by the national bureau of standards or its successor organization, the national institute of standards and technology, and file any handbook, or part thereof, so adopted with the secretary of state.

b. Adopt rules and regulations in consultation with the commissioner of environmental conservation, setting forth standards relating to petroleum product and alternative fuel quality, specifications, and sampling and testing methods. Rules and regulations relating to octane ratings and lead content of gasoline shall be consistent with applicable federal statutes and regulations. Insofar as practicable, such rules and regulations shall be consistent with standards established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the American Society for Testing and Materials. For the purpose of this section, the term "alternative fuel" means alcohols such as ethanol, methanol, butanol and non-petroleum liquid or gaseous fuels, other than alcohol, derived from biological materials, suitable for use and consumption in the engine of a motor vehicle.

4. Take charge of the standards adopted by this article as the primary standards of the state; cause them to be kept in the principal office of the department in the city of Albany, from which they shall not be removed except for repairs or for certification; and take all other precautions for their safekeeping.

5. Submit such primary standards to the national bureau of standards or its successor organization, the national institute of standards and technology, for certification as often as he may deem necessary or upon the request of such bureau.

6. Maintain a complete set of copies of such primary standards, which shall be used for adjusting municipal standards, and the primary standards shall not be used except for the adjustment of this set of copies.

7. Procure such apparatus, equipment and standards, if the same have not already been procured, as are necessary in the comparison and adjustment of municipal standards.

8. Keep a complete record of the standards, balances and other related apparatus which are in his possession.

9. Inspect, either personally or through his authorized agents, as often as he deems necessary but no less than once every two years, the standards of weights and measures of each county and of each city which maintains a weights and measures program; and at least every five years, compare the same with those in his possession and make such corrections in the municipal standards as are necessary; and keep a record of the same.

10. Supervise the weights and measures, weighing and measuring devices and systems, and accessories related thereto, which are sold, offered or exposed for sale, or used in the state.

11. Test, calibrate and certify, upon the request of any person, firm or corporation, standards of weights and measures, weighing and measuring devices and systems, and accessories related thereto; and charge such fees therefor as he deems appropriate.

12. (a) Establish specifications, amounts of tolerances and reasonable variations allowable for weights and measures, weighing and measuring devices and systems, and accessories relating thereto, for packaged commodities sold, or offered or exposed for sale in the state, for the composition and quality of petroleum products, and the testing methods therefor, giving due recognition to federal and state requirements, and enter into such written agreements as the commissioner may deem appropriate, with federal agencies and other state agencies for the purpose of establishing and enforcing uniform specifications and tolerances and (b) establish, by regulation, and collect an appropriate fee commensurate with costs, for the examination of all new types of weighing and measuring devices and systems, and accessories relating thereto prior to their introduction into commerce.

13. Inspect and test, either personally or through his authorized agents, weights and measures, weighing and measuring devices and systems, and accessories relating thereto which are used commercially within the state by any person, firm or corporation in determining the weight, measure or count of commodities or things sold, or offered or exposed for sale on the basis of weight, measure or count, or in computing the basic charge or payment for services rendered on the basis of weight, measure or count, or in the case of coin counting machines which are used commercially within the state by any coin processor required to be licensed pursuant to article twenty-seven-A of the general business law ("coin processor licensing act"), in determining an accurate count of coins, in order to ascertain if such weights and measures, weighing and measuring devices and systems, or accessories related thereto are correct and are being used correctly; and charge fees commensurate with the cost of each such inspection or test for inspections and tests which are not otherwise conducted by municipalities. The commissioner is also authorized to charge fees commensurate with the cost of each such inspection or test for inspections and tests conducted for the purpose of certifying municipal weighing and measuring devices and systems. Fees authorized by this subdivision shall be established by the commissioner by regulation.

14. Weigh, measure and inspect, either personally or through his authorized agents, packaged commodities kept, offered or exposed for sale, sold or in the process of delivery to determine whether such packages contain the amounts represented and whether they are kept, offered or exposed for sale in accordance with this article or the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.

15. Cause to be tested, as often as he deems necessary by a weights and measures official all weights and measures, weighing and measuring devices and systems, and accessories related thereto, used in checking the receipt or disbursement of supplies in every state agency or institution, and report in writing to the head of the agency or institution concerned; and, at the request of the head of any state agency or institution, appoint in writing one or more employees, then in actual service of such agency or institution, who shall act as special deputies for the purpose of checking the receipt or disbursement of supplies.

16. Supervise municipal weights and measures programs and, in conjunction therewith, examine and evaluate, either personally or through his authorized agents, such programs as often as he deems necessary and report the results thereof.

17. Establish, jointly with the state civil service commission, standards governing the qualifications and appointments of municipal directors of weights and measures, their deputies and employees.

18. Provide technical assistance and training, and issue such instructions to municipal weights and measures officials as he deems appropriate to effectuate the provisions of this article. Such instructions shall be binding upon and govern such officials in the discharge of their duties.

19. a. Inspect, test, and take samples, of any and all petroleum products and alternative fuel kept, offered or exposed for sale or in the process of delivery or transport and inspect any and all documents and records required to be maintained by this article. The commissioner of taxation and finance may request from the commissioner cooperation and technical assistance, including, among other things, the inspection, testing and sampling of petroleum products, in connection with the administration and enforcement of the fee and taxes imposed with respect to such products by or pursuant to article twelve-A, thirteen-A, twenty-eight or twenty-nine of the tax law.

b. Provide test kits, sample containers and shipping and custody documents for municipal weights and measures programs and reimburse such municipalities for the cost of petroleum product and alternative fuel samples and sample shipping to a testing facility designated by the commissioner.

c. Provide financial reimbursement to municipalities for activities undertaken by municipal weights and measures programs, for one annual inspection, screening test, and sample of fuel being held, kept, stored, or transported in a terminal storage tank or in a storage tank located at a retail fuel outlet and for all additional inspections of petroleum products and alternative fuel prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner, by regulation, shall establish the amount of such reimbursement and the means by which municipalities can qualify for such reimbursement.

20. Pursuant to delegation from the commissioner of environmental conservation under paragraph f of subdivision one of section 19-0301 of the environmental conservation law, and notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, exercise the authority of the department of environmental conservation to test fuels for conformance with applicable standards and to enforce against violations of such standards.